1-1 By: Coleman, Ehrhardt (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 2304 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 1996; 1-3 April 27, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Human 1-4 Services; May 6, 1999, reported favorably, as amended, by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 6, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 By: Zaffirini 1-7 Amend H.B. 2304 as follows: 1-8 (1) In SECTION 3, strike "September" and substitute 1-9 "January" (Engrossed version, page 1, line 34). 1-10 (2) In SECTION 3, strike "1999" and substitute "2000" 1-11 (Engrossed version, page 1, line 34). 1-12 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-13 AN ACT 1-14 relating to certain providers of family counseling services under 1-15 the medical assistance program. 1-16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-17 SECTION 1. Section 32.027(e), Human Resources Code, is 1-18 amended to read as follows: 1-19 (e) The department shall assure that a recipient of medical 1-20 assistance under this chapter may select a licensed psychologist or 1-21 a licensed marriage and family therapist, as defined by Section 2, 1-22 Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act (Article 4512c-1, 1-23 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), to perform any health care service 1-24 or procedure covered under the medical assistance program if the 1-25 selected psychologist or marriage and family therapist is 1-26 authorized by law to perform the service or procedure. This 1-27 subsection shall be liberally construed. 1-28 SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act 1-29 a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a 1-30 federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, 1-31 the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or 1-32 authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the 1-33 waiver or authorization is granted. 1-34 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-35 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-36 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-37 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-38 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-39 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-40 * * * * *